Best Soil For Roses...

Following article extracted from our rose growing training guide available for purchase here...

...Soil is composed of particles of sand, silt, and clay. Sand particles are largest (0.2 to 0.05 millimeters), clay particles are smallest (0.002 millimeters or less), and silt falls in between (0.05 to 0.002 millimeters). The size of the soil particles determines the soil texture. The arrangement of the particles is referred to as its soil structure.

A soil that is too sandy cannot hold onto the water and fertilizer you give it, so plants growing in sandy soil must be fed and watered frequently. On the positive side, the coarse texture of sandy soil provides aeration for good root growth, and its fast-draining qualities help keep it relatively free of soil-born diseases.

Heavier clay soil holds water and nutrients well, but it usually has poor drainage because the tiny spaces between its small particles do not let water through easily. Because of the compact nature of clay, aeration is also poor.

Silt, ranking between sand and clay in fineness, has both the good drainage of sand and the nutrient-holding capacity of clay. “Silty” soil is also extremely friable (easy to work.) It's almost as good as loam for growing roses, but like loam it rarely occurs naturally. It is usually mixed with sand and clay.

The best soil of all, called loam, is a mixture of 30 to 50 percent sand, 30 to 40 percent silt, and 8 to 28 percent clay (the total must naturally equal 100 percent). Like silt, loam drains well yet retains enough water to promote growth. It has good aeration, allowing roots to absorb oxygen and have room to grow, and it has excellent nutrient-retaining properties. Loose and friable, good loam is composed of 50 percent solid matter, 25 percent air, and 25 percent water.

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